Patient-Centred Care is fast becoming the aim of every healthcare provider.

To properly implement, we must move to better communications with patients at all stages of their journey. This means using more than letters to inform them of appointments, changes and results. Today, consumers expect to use modern methods, including eMail, SMS, APPs and automated systems.

This can start with choice over appointment dates and times, remidners when they are due, ability to quickly change and cancel and feedback about the entire pathway.

Friends & Family Test - Background

The Friends and Family Test (FFT) aims to provide a simple, headline metric which, when combined with follow-up questions, can be used to drive cultural change and continuous improvements in the quality of the care received by NHS patients.

The Department of Health (DH) is now requesting that every patient, discharged from Hospital, after treatment or care, is asked a few questions. The main question relates to whether they would recommend the service they have received, to their Friends and Family.

In January 2013, the Prime Minister stated that ALL parts of the NHS will now be required to use the FFT. As yet, we don't know the date of start for Community and Primary Care, but we would expect it to start initial roll-outs soon, for those Trusts we are already working with, who have access to appropriate technologies.